


That Fine Line Between Love And Hate

by bornforwar_archivist



Series: For The Love Of A Child [2]
Category: Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, Xena: Warrior Princess
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-12-31
Updated: 2006-12-31
Packaged: 2018-11-06 11:51:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,199
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11035638
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bornforwar_archivist/pseuds/bornforwar_archivist
Summary: By EphyAfter Xena saves Hercules from Ares, Iolaus witnesses something between The Warrior Princess and the God of War.





	That Fine Line Between Love And Hate

**Author's Note:**

> Note from Delenn, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [Born For War](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Born_For_War), which closed in 2015. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in March 2016. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [Born For War collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/bornforwar).
> 
> Disclaimer: I don’t own em
> 
> Violence: No more than the show
> 
> Subtext: Well THERE’S a stupid question
> 
> Sex: Nope, kissing is all (It’s implied but that’s it) 
> 
> Rating: PG- PG-13
> 
> Author’s Note: This is a sequel to ‘For Love of a Child.’ 
> 
> Summary: After Xena saves Hercules from Ares, Iolaus witnesses something between The Warrior Princess and the God of War. 
> 
> Dedication: To Lily cause she helped give me the motivation to write this- luv ya! 
> 
> Ok- Pixie Sticks for everyone (except Glad- she gets hersheys!!) Enjoy!!!

Ares was mad... Hercules had interfered with his plans for the last time. They were in the middle of town, fighting... Everyone, including Iolaus was watching Ares beat the Sh*t out of Hercules. Just as he was about to kill him the air was filled with a familiar sound.   
  
"A yi ya yi ya ya yi!" Xena flipped over the crowd and blocked Ares' sword with hers.   
  
"Sorry Ares, no one picks on him but me."   
  
"C'mon Xena, I don't have time to play right now."   
  
"Make time!" The two started fighting. Iolaus ran over to inspect Hercules' wounds. They both noticed it at the same time... Ares was going easy on her... He was LETTING her win!!! They fought a while longer, and then they just stopped for no reason. Ares said something to Xena and left. Xena ran over to Hercules..   
  
"Are you ok?"   
  
"Yeah, I'll be fine... Hey what just happened out there?"   
  
"I was fighting, Hercules. That's what warriors do." She answered in a 'How Stupid Are You' tone.   
  
"No, no, no." Iolaus said in a very frustrated, almost comical way. "He was going easy on you!! And what did he say?"   
  
''Guys! He wasn't going easy on me... Now c'mon, I wanna bandage that head."   
  
  
  
Later that night Hercules, Ephiny, and Xena were sitting around the campfire while Iolaus was out for a walk...   
  
"I'm gonna go take a bath." Xena said suddenly.   
  
"Oh, Thank you!" Ephiny joked.   
  
"Oooh, watch it Amazon." Hercules just had to laugh; these two had such loving, unique relationship.   
  
  
  
Iolaus was walking by the lake when he heard talking. When he went to see who it was he found Ares and Xena in the middle of very passionate embrace. His eyes bugged out of his head.... _What the hell is she thinking_???  
  
"No." Xena said pulling away, standing with her back towards him. ' _Good girl Xena_ ' That thought didn't last for long...   
  
"Oh- c'mon honey." _Honey??? Hercules isn't gonna like that..._ "Look, I don't understand, why are you so mad?"   
  
"Why am I mad?? You almost killed him!!!"   
  
"I said I'm sorry, ok? I promise you, I won't kill him." _Like that's worth much..._ "What is up with you the past few days?? One minute you're all mushy, which I like, then, you get all mad at me, which I don't like." _Mushy? That's not a pretty site!!_  
  
"I know, I'm sorry…" _SHE’S sorry_?? "They're starting to get suspicious you know." She wanted to change the subject.   
  
"Yeah, I know… We'll think of something... Ooh, hey, I gotta go there's this big meeting on Olympus that I need to go to. Wanna come should be lots of fun?"   
  
"I'm sure… but no thanks."   
  
"Ya sure? Apollo will be there... I know how much you love bugging him."   
  
"Ok now that's tempting... But no..."   
  
"Alright then I'll see you tomorrow... My love." He kissed her passionately and left.   
  
_Ugh! I didn't need to see that... Xena are you crazy??? Hercules is gonna flip...._   
  
  
  
The next morning when Xena woke up there was a black rose and a note next to her pillow.   
  
**Good morning Sunshine. I’ve got a lot of business to attend to today so I might not see you until tonight. Have a good day!  
**

Your Favorite God (and no its not Apollo)

 ****  
  
Xena chuckled, she couldn’t stand Apollo and he knew it! She quickly shoved the items into her saddlebag, but not before Iolaus saw it! Now he was REALLY mad. Soon everything was all packed up and they were just about to leave when Ephiny spoke up when she noticed that Xena was acting kinda strange.  
  
“Honey, you ok?”   
  
“I’ve been feeling a little sick lately.”   
  
“Really?”   
  
“Eh! Only in the mornings.” Ephiny’s eyes got REALLY wide as did Xena’s. Hercules looked at them strangely.   
  
“Um.” Xena panicked. “We’ll be right back, c’mon Eph.” They QUICKLY exited the campsite.   
  
“Morning sickness!” Ephiny practically shouted when they were out of range. “You’re… You’re…”  
  
“The word is pregnant, honey!”   
  
“Yes it is! Whoa, why are we so mad? This is happy news, right?” She pulled Xena into a hug.   
  
“What am I gonna tell them?”   
  
“Worry about them later… The first thing you have to do, is tell the father.”   
  
“Yeah! Right! That’s a good idea.” Xena wasn’t taking this well, Ephiny laughed.   
  
“Would you calm down?”   
  
“I got a kid inside me and you want me calm down?!” She shouted as she walked towards camp.   
  
“Mood swings!” Ephiny ran after her.   
  
  
  
Hercules, Ephiny, and Iolaus headed for the tavern as Xena went to Ares’ temple.   
  
“Ares!” She shouted as soon as she got inside. He didn’t come. She walked around and found him in a small room studying maps. He obviously was SO busy he didn’t hear her.   
  
“Hey there.” She said as walked in.   
  
“Hey! I’m sorry, but I’m really busy right now!” She stood behind him.   
  
“We need to talk.”   
  
“Can we talk later? Please?”   
  
“Yeah, sure we don’t have to talk about it now.”   
  
“I don’t deserve you.” He turned around kissed her then went back to his maps. She wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered in his ear.   
  
“Just sometime within the next nine months.” She smiled and left the room. Ares didn’t get it until she had left, he was going to go after her, but by the time he got with the program she was eating with her little gang. He smiled and left.   
  
  
  
Xena was getting ready for bed when she felt his presence. He appeared behind her and massaged her shoulders. He leaned in so his lips were right at her ear as whispered to her.   
  
“We’re gonna have a child?”   
  
“Yeah.” Ares smiled and Xena was very confused. “You’re not mad?”   
  
“Why would I be mad?”   
  
“I dunno. I just thought you would be.”   
  
“War can love, Xena.”   
  
“I know.” He kissed her, as the kiss became more passionate they sat down on the bed. Just things were about to go further, the door opened.   
  
“Hercules you don’t wanna go in there!” Ephiny called after him, she had heard Ares enter somehow. Hercules walked in followed by Iolaus and Ephiny. They all stopped in their tracks when they same Ares with Xena. Hercules’ eyes bugged out of his head, Iolaus had this ‘I knew it’ look on his face, and Ephiny gave this look that was like ‘Sorry I tried to stop them.’   
  
“Xena!” Hercules was shocked. “How could you? What were you…? XENA!”   
  
“That’s nothing.” Iolaus said. “Why don’t you tell them what happened the other night when you went to ‘take your bath.’” Xena eyes grew wide.   
  
“You saw that?”   
  
“Uh huh!” Ares turned to Xena.   
  
“You know dear, if you’d rather handle this I could just leave…”  
  
“Oh no!” Xena said grabbing his arm. “You aren’t going ANYWHERE! As long as they’re here we might as well get this over with.” She said as they stood up.   
  
“Get what over with?” Xena gave him a ‘you stupid idiot look’ and then he remembered. “Oh, Oh, you mean get THAT over with!”   
  
“Yeah!”   
  
“Get what over with?” A VERY angry Hercules asked.   
  
“You don’t wanna know.” Ephiny said in a singsong voice.   
  
“I’m… I’m…” That’s all Xena could get out.   
  
“What she’s trying to say is… well… umm.” Ares couldn’t quite do it either.   
  
“Oh for crying out loud!” Ephiny practically shouted. “She pregnant!”   
  
“Thank you honey!” Xena said rather sarcastically.   
  
“No problem.”   
  
“PREGNANT??” Hercules and Iolaus asked at the same time.   
  
“What do you mean pregnant?” Hercules asked completely amazed.   
  
“Oh well, you’ve gotta know by now after all you HAVE had 3 kids.” Ares said just before getting elbowed in the stomach by Xena. “What did you do that for?”   
  
“Could you have phrased that better?”   
  
“I can’t… this just... no!” Hercules left the room with Iolaus behind him.   
  
“Well… I’m happy for you!” Ephiny said trying to make them feel better. Xena gave her this ‘thank you’ look and Ephiny left. Leaving Xena and Ares alone with her troubles.   
  
  
  
Meanwhile… Up on Olympus  
  
All the gods in the council were sitting around a large table talking, arguing.   
  
“Silence!” Zeus shouted.   
  
“Pop this whole thing is EXTREMELY unfair!” Aphrodite said.   
  
“OH GET OVER IT APHRODITE!” Athena said. “Ares has gone against us TOO many times. This time he’s gonna pay!”   
  
“OH PLEASE! ‘Thena get with it! Ares learned his lesson, besides there is NO way I’m letting you punish MY Warrior Babe just to make him suffer!”   
  
“I hate to take THEIR side, but she’s right.” Artemis said. “I’m NOT letting you harm one of my amazons for ARES!”   
  
“She’s not an Amazon!” Athena HATED it when Artemis said that about the only decent female warrior that didn’t worship her.   
  
“She got the SOUL of an Amazon… Don’t go there with me!”   
  
“Silence!” Zeus shouted once again. “You are Goddesses… START ACTING LIKE IT!!! Now Aphrodite, Artemis… FOR NOW- nothing will happen to Xena… But if Ares messes up ONCE...!”   
  
“Yes Daddy.”   
  
“Yes Father.”   
  
“Meeting adjourned.”   
  
  
  
Xena and Ares were in Xena’s room talking about how they were gonna handle all of this when Aphrodite appeared in a shower of pink and gold sparkles.   
  
“Hey, sorry if you were like, right in the middle of some love fest but there’s somethin’ I gotta tell yas!!”   
  
“Yeah we got something to tell you too.” Xena smiled at Aphrodite as Ares put his arms around Xena’s neck.   
  
“Really? Well, you first!”   
  
“Xena’s pregnant!” Ares said. Aphrodite’s jaw dropped, then she squealed. Walked over to Xena, pushed Ares out of the way and hugged Xena very tightly.   
  
“Oh Warrior Babe! I’m so happy for you!” Ares was a displeased that he was being left out.   
  
“Um excuse me!” He said, “I had something to do with it too.”   
  
“Oh sorry bro!” Aphrodite let go off Xena and reached up to hug her brother.   
  
“So,” Xena said, “What’s your news?” Aphrodite raised her eyebrows and thought for a second, she didn’t want to spoil it.   
  
“Never mind. So how’d Herc take it?” She jammed her eyes shut ‘Well gee that’s a great way to keep up the mood ya dumb blond!’ She said to herself sarcastically.   
  
“It’ll take some getting used to, but give him time.” Xena said, both to Aphrodite AND Ares.   
  
  
  
Xena was lying down on her bed when Hercules walked in.   
  
“May I come in?”   
  
“Since when do you feel the need to ask that?” Xena sounded somewhat offended. Hercules didn’t feel like answering that. He walked over and sat down on the bed as Xena sat up.   
  
“Why don’t you just say it?” Xena asked.   
  
“You want me to say it? FINE, I’ll say it! What the hell were you thinking?” He shouted.   
  
“I was thinking that I was in love!”   
  
“Oh come on Xena, you’re not that stupid! You know that Ares can’t love and even if he could… Don’t you feel… Anything… For me?”   
  
“Yeah! As a matter of fact while we’re on that subject… For over 2 yrs. what I felt towards you was love and trust, and then you hurt me! You tell me you love me and then just a few months later I hear you’re married! Ok- we’re both adults, I get over it. Now I feel for you what I feel for Iolaus and for Joxer! So yes, I do feel something towards you, I also feel something towards Ares! And if you can’t accept that, then that really means that you can’t accept me.” Hercules stood there, shocked, he couldn’t believe what Xena was saying. With tears in his eyes he left the room. He passed Iolaus on the way out, who had been listening the entire time. He walked in. Xena was about to say something but Iolaus didn’t let her get anything out.   
  
“Don’t talk. When I first met you, I hated you. Then I saw you with Hercules and saw you had changed I thought that if Herc trusted you then I would TRY but I never kept my eye off you. Then, you died. I saw your coffin and I just… I lost it. I realized how much you meant to me, then we got you back and I was relieved. Hercules and I sat down and we had a talk. We weren’t planning on letting anything happen to you ever again. We became more protective of you even when you didn’t need it. Then I saw you with Ares, I was devastated, I thought that if that kept up, you’d become a monster again. But listening to you just now I KNOW that won’t happen. I want you to be happy Xe. If that means Ares then go ahead, you won’t get anymore grief from me.” Iolaus walked over to Xena and hugged her, tightly. Just then Ares appeared in the room. He saw the tears in Xena’s eyes and took that as a good sign. Iolaus broke the hug and extended a hand out to Ares who took it. They finally had something to agree on… Xena.   
  
  
  
Trievous (Ares’ warlord) was sitting in his tent talking to a man that stood in the shadows. The man began to speak.   
  
“I bring word from your lord.” He lied.   
  
“I’m listening.” The warlord said as he flipped a dagger over his hand.   
  
“You’re to take your army to a small village just south of Thessaly.”   
  
“Why? The people of Thessaly will know I’m coming and leave!”   
  
“His intentions are not for you to take Theessaly. Athena has a temple there, Ares wants it destroyed!”   
  
“It shall be done.”   
  
  
  
Now of course Ares had not sent this order. He didn’t even know that Athena had a temple anywhere near Thessaly. He spent the day with Xena and Ephiny. Xena wanted Ephiny to get to know him better… Just incase Hercules needed more convincing, (and she knew he would) Ephiny would be on her side. They sitting, talking, and laughing when Hermes came flying down.   
  
“Yo, whatz up?” He asked.   
  
“Hey, Hermes.” Ares said not sounding to thrilled to see him.   
  
“And Xena, Aphrodite was right, still just as gorgeous as ever. Whoa! And who is this fine looking lady?” He asked looking at Ephiny.   
  
“Hermes!” Ares said quickly. “Did you want something?”   
  
“Oh yeah, Big Daddyo wants you back up there NOW, he’s not too happy!”   
  
“Oh great! I’ll see you later.” He said looking at Xena as he kissed her passionately.   
  
“Ehhh, they always this mushy?” Hermes asked.   
  
“Worse.” Ephiny grinned. “At least YOU don’t have to live with it!”   
  
  
  
Ares and Hermes appeared on Mt. Olympus. As soon as they did all the gods started shouting at once.   
  
“What did I do now?” Ares asked.   
  
“You know very well what you did.” Athena shouted. “You know that sending others to destroy temples are against the rules!”   
  
“I didn’t...” Ares looked down at Apollo who grinned at him, he had something to do with his, and Ares knew it!   
  
“Xena will face the consequences for his Ares!” Zeus said.   
  
“NO!” Aphrodite shouted. “You can’t! Especially now that she’s…”  
  
“Aphrodite!” Are shouted, interrupting her, he didn’t want the other gods to know… at least not yet. Aphrodite nodded, she understood.   
  
“You just can’t! Here punish me instead… Make me… mortal for a month or something!” All the gods were shocked… Aphrodite of all people was willing to give up her godhood (if only for a short time) for a mortal!   
  
“No!” Hera said. “We agreed already that Xena would pay, not you.” Again the gods were shocked, they thought that if ANYONE would be on Ares’ side it would be her.   
  
“Fine!” Aphrodite said. “But at least do us a favor.”   
  
“What would that be?” Zeus asked.   
  
“Let her die a warrior. Send your men after her so she can die in battle. And if she wins, a task that NO MORTAL has ever done before, she lives.”   
  
“It’s the least we can do.”   
  
“Thank you.” Ares said to both Zeus and Aphrodite, he KNEW that if anyone could survive this it would be Xena, he also knew that Ephiny wouldn’t make her go trough it alone.   
  
  
  
Xena and Ephiny were taking a walk in the woods.   
  
“Boy or a girl?” Ephiny asked.   
  
“What?”   
  
“Which would you like? A boy or a girl?”   
  
“Does it matter? The question I’m asking myself is, God or mortal.”   
  
“Ooh! Yeah, I missed that one.” The two continued to talk about names and such when Zeus’ men attacked them.   
  
“Time for the show.” Zeus said as the portal appeared. Aphrodite held Ares hand tight as Artemis looked on with fear in her eyes. The two warriors started fighting. It started off ok but then it started to get ugly. Ephiny’s arm was covered in blood and Xena took a pretty hard blow to the stomach! Never the less, everything ended fine; they won Just as they always did.   
  
“What the hell?” Ephiny asked out of breath.   
  
“I dunno, but I’m gonna find out!” They leaning on each other they walked back to town.   
  
  
  
The portal on closed as Ares, Aphrodite, and Artemis let out a sigh of relief.   
  
“Well, Ares it appears you were right, she is exceptional.” Zeus said as everyone except for Ares and Apollo disappeared.   
  
“Well, it appears your little toy did it.”   
  
“Apollo! You told my warlord to attack Athena’s temple didn’t you?”   
  
“What if I did? She’s alive isn’t she?”   
  
“Not for your lack of trying! If she’s hurt I swear Apollo I will make you wish you never born!”   
  
“You threatening me?”   
  
“Oh you better believe it, brother.” Ares disappeared.   
  
  
  
The next morning Xena woke up and started making her bed. That’s when she saw it; there was blood on her sheets! Looking down she saw blood on her leg!   
  
“No!’ She said under her breath. She had seen this before, but she didn’t want to believe it. She quickly ran into Ephiny’s room.   
  
“Ephiny!” She said standing next to her bed. Ephiny slowly opened her eyes.   
  
“Ah honey, c’mon the sun isn’t even up yet! Lemme go back to sleep!”   
  
“Ephiny!” Ephiny looked at the tears in Xena’s eyes as Xena explained her theory. Sure enough when they went to se a midwife, it was confirmed!  
  
  
  
Xena was sitting at the edge of her bed starring off into space when Ares appeared next to her.   
  
“Hey.” He said. He got no reply so he squeezed her shoulders. “Earth to Xena, come in Xena.” Xena snapped out of it.   
  
“Huh? Oh, hi.”   
  
“Hey, you ok?”   
  
“Ares.” A single tear ran down her face as she put her head on his shoulders. Ares wrapped his arms tightly around her.   
  
“Xe? What’s wrong?”   
  
“The baby.” Xena said while crying softly. Ares got scared.   
  
“What about the baby?” He asked as he put his head on hers. Unknown to both of them Hercules walked in.   
  
“I had a miscarriage! It’s gone!” Xena said as she continued to cry on her love’s shoulder. A single tear ran down Ares’ face, which Hercules saw.   
  
“Shhhh.” Ares said. “Its ok, it’ll be ok.” ‘Damn that Apollo’ he thought ‘this never would have happened if he hadn’t set up the whole lie!’ He was gonna pay for that! And Ares was determined to get their child back!   
  
  
  
The gods were on Olympus having a big ‘family dinner,’ why? None of them knew.   
  
“Where is Ares?” Zeus asked.   
  
“Mostly likely checking up on that little whore that has the nerve to call her self a warrior.” Apollo said smugly as he took a sip of his wine. Aphrodite sneered at him.   
  
“Look Mr. Macho! I’ve had it up to here with you! If you EVER talk about Xena that way again I swear I will make your eternal life an eternal damnation!” ‘If it works for Xena it’ll work for me.’ Aphrodite thought. “It’s a GOOD thing that Ares cares so much for Xena and their child!” She shouted, then she realized what she said. “HUH!!!!!! I wasn’t supposed to say that!” She said as her hand slapped over her mouth.   
  
“Xena’s pregnant?” Discord asked as a wave of jealousy washed over her. Just then Ares appeared.   
  
“Sorry, I’m late.” The gods just stared at him. “Will you PLEASE just yell at me so I can go, I’ve got something to take care of!”   
  
“I’ll bet you do!” Athena said with a smile on her face. Ares looked at Aphrodite who had that guilty look on her face.   
  
“Oh! Oh, Aphrodite, you didn’t!”   
  
“Hey, bro I’m sorry it just kinda slipped out!” Aphrodite said with her arms folded across her chest.   
  
“Well, congratulations my son!” Zeus said. This was the first time he gave Ares a smile in eons!   
  
“Yeah well, I hate to disappoint but… Xena’s NOT pregnant. I mean she WAS but that little attack was just too much.” Aphrodite’s eyes crammed shut as a silent tear ran down her face. “No.” She said under breath. She walked over to Ares and hugged him, tight! Ares looked down at Apollo who just sat there looking like he won something. He hadn’t though.   
  
“Daddy.” Aphrodite said. “I want you to give the child its life back.” She said firmly.   
  
“Now Aphrodite, this is not my fault! Ares messed up and he’s paying the price!”   
  
“Zeus for once in your life would you trust me!” Ares practically shouted. “I know you’ve been watching Xena and myself when we’re together, I felt it! Didn’t you pick up ANYTHING?”   
  
“Yes I did. Keep up the good work boy. She’ll be leading your army again in no time.”   
  
“You think that’s what I want? Oh, yeah well I guess YOU would, after all you can’t even love your wife!”   
  
“Ares!”   
  
“No! It’s my turn to talk and yours to listen! You once told me that War can’t feel anything and it shouldn’t. You were wrong, Zeus! I love Xena. That’s right I’m saying it, in front of everyone, I’m saying it! I wouldn’t put her in that kind of danger, especially pregnant!”   
  
“I want to believe you son but I can’t!” Zeus said.   
  
“Zeus!” Aphrodite shouted with tears pouring down her face. Everyone was in shock, Aphrodite never called her father Zeus and she never raised her voice that high. “You know as well as I do that he didn’t go against the rules. Even if he did it was a small one! Not worth the life of a child! If you won’t believe him then take it from love, herself.” Ares smiled at his sister. She had grown a lot in many ways, becoming her person, a person to be proud of.   
  
“It shall be done.” Zeus said, knowing that this fight, he couldn’t win. With a wave of a hand the baby was back in Xena and she felt it immediately.   
  
  
  
“Ephiny!” Xena shouted as she looked for her friend. She found Ephiny in the tavern with a large group of men standing around her.   
  
“Oh, Xena!” Ephiny said slightly disappointed, her friends’ timing was awful!   
  
“I’m sorry, could I steal you away for a moment.” Xena asked.   
  
“Oh of course Xena!” Ephiny said. ‘Every time I got the guys…’ she complained under her breath. “Xena, you just pulled me away from a lot of handsome, muscular, almost perfect LOOKING men! Now, this might not mean much to you because you’ve got your man tied around your little finger! PLEASE tell me you have a VERY good reason.” Xena smiled and placed her friend’s hand on her stomach as the baby kicked. Ephiny’s jaw dropped.   
  
“You know you got something in there?” Ephiny said shocked.   
  
“Yeah, I know I got something in there!” Xena laughed as she hugged her friend.   
  
  
  
It was the middle of the night and Hercules walked into the kitchen area for a midnight snack, since Cyrene was good friends with the tavern owner, he knew it was ok. When he walked in the room he saw Xena eating a very gross combination of foods.   
  
“Hey! Guess what? The kid’s back!” Xena said with a smile on her face. Hercules laughed.   
  
“I can see that! Umm, Xena…”  
  
“Don’t say anything. I know that you are just looking out for me and you don’t want me to get hurt.”   
  
“Yeah. I also, uh, I made a stupid move by letting you go. The moment you were gone I wanted you back and I still do. I couldn’t stand the fact of you loving HIM over me.”   
  
“I don’t. I love you the same just in different ways. There are things I’ve told you that I could NEVER tell him. You were ALWAYS there for me when I needed you, Hercules. I want things to stay that way.”   
  
“Me too.” They smiled at each other. “What the hell is that anyway?” Hercules asked looking at the food in front of Xena. She laughed.   
  
“Its vanilla ice cream with butterscotch and sardines on the top.”   
  
“Xena!”   
  
“Its good! Want some?”   
  
“I’ll pass thanks.” Xena shrugged and continued eating.   
  
  
  
“Damn!” Discord shouted as she entered Apollo’s throne room. “Your little plan didn’t work, Golden Boy!”   
  
“Watch it little girl!” Apollo screamed. “I want Ares to suffer and you want him back! The only way we will BOTH get what we want is by getting Xena out of the picture.”   
  
“But how? Plan A failed and Plan B is shot cause Hercules made peace!”   
  
“How do you know?”   
  
“I was watching!”   
  
“Well then, we’ll have to move on to plan C!”   
  
“We have a plan C?” Apollo scuffed.   
  
“Come, its time to call in a favor.”   
  
  
  
Xena and Ephiny were sitting on Xena’s bed talking.   
  
“So, how are we gonna do this?” Ephiny asked.   
  
“Do what?” Xena asked.   
  
“Are you coming home with me next week?”   
  
“I dunno, it all depends.”   
  
“On what?”   
  
“Ares. It’ll come down to living with him or the amazons.”   
  
“Well, you should be with the man you love, but just so you know, if you DO go live him, I’ll miss you.”   
  
“No you won’t! I’ll be knocking at your door so often you’ll get sick of me!”   
  
“I already AM sick of you!”   
  
“Oh you are SO not funny!”   
  
  
  
Meanwhile…  
  
Apollo and Discord appeared in the Furies Lair.   
  
“Apollo!” Alecto said with a smile on her face. “And Discord.” Her smile faded. “To what to I owe this pleasure?”   
  
“Alecto, I’m under the impression that you are NOT doing your job correctly.”   
  
“How so?”   
  
“Last year Ares had you drive Xena insane for death of her father… Correct?”   
  
“Yes, why?” Discord gave a devilish smile; she got it now! She started where Apollo left off.   
  
“You are aware of their present relationship?”   
  
“Yes…”  
  
“Think about it sweetie, if Ares was Xena’s father, would they have such a relationship?” Alecto’s eyes bugged out of her head.   
  
“No I suppose they wouldn’t. No matter, that mistake is easily rectified. Thank you for bringing this to my attention.”   
  
“Now,” Apollo said. “You owe me, I would like to choose Xena’s NEW punishment.”   
  
“And what would that be?” Apollo smiled and with a wave of his hand a portal appeared showing Alecto her victim, Ephiny!   
  
  
  
Xena was laying on her bed when Ares appeared.   
  
“Hey.” He said, looking down at his love.   
  
“Hey.” Ares laid down next to her and wrapped his arms around her. Xena snuggled closer to him.   
  
“Ooh, you’re in that mood of yours.”   
  
“Mood?”   
  
“Yeah that, cuddle mood.”   
  
“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” Xena closed her eyes. Just as she did so Hercules walked in.   
  
“Oops, sorry, gone.”   
  
“That’s ok Hercules.” Xena said although neither of them moved.   
  
“Have you seen Ephiny?” Hercules asked. Xena sat up, that got her attention!   
  
“Isn’t she in her bed?”   
  
“No, she isn’t!”   
  
“I think I know where she is.” Ares said.   
  
“There’s a surprise!” Hercules said as Xena gave him ‘the look.’ Ares excused the comment, kissed Xena goodbye and disappeared.   
  
  
  
Ares reappeared on Olympus.   
  
“Zeus!” He shouted as he entered Zeus’ throne room.   
  
“What is wrong now son?” Zeus asked.   
  
“Where’s Apollo?”   
  
  
  
Meanwhile…  
  
Ephiny was walking into town when the Furies began their mayhem.   
  
“Ephiny!” Alceto said.   
  
“Go away!” Ephiny said.   
  
“You know what’s going to happen don’t you? Xena’s going to have her child and then… she’s going to leave you! Just like that, she’ll pack up her things and you’ll never see her again.”   
  
“What are you talking about? Xena would NEVER just leave forever.”   
  
“How much are you willing to bet on that? The Amazon Nation? Cause that’s what it will cost you!”   
  
“What do you mean?”   
  
“Simple! She’ll leave you and ally with your enemy, just like Artemis, and kill you all!”   
  
“No! No.”   
  
“There’s only one way to save your sister Amazons. You must KILL Xena!”   
  
  
  
Xena was in her room taking a nap when Ephiny walked in. The Furies taunted in her head, ‘Kill her, kill her!’ Ephiny walked over to Xena’s sleeping form and knelt down next to her. She brushed Xena’s bangs off her forehead and kissed her forehead.   
  
“I’m sorry Xena! But we BOTH agreed a long time ago to protect the Amazons at ALL costs. Goodbye, my friend. ” Ephiny raised a dagger over Xena, but before the dagger got there someone came flying out of nowhere and knock Ephiny to the ground. As soon as they hit the ground, they BOTH disappeared.   
  
  
  
Zeus and Ares were in Zeus’ throne room trying to figure out what Apollo was up to when Aphrodite appeared with Ephiny.   
  
“What the…” Ares asked.   
  
“Apollo used the Furies to make her try and kill Xena!”   
  
“What!” Zeus and Ares asked together.   
  
“You figured that out all by yourself did you?” Apollo asked appearing next to her.   
  
“Hey, don’t believe everything you hear about blonds!” Aphrodite said defensively. “Besides, why else would she try to kill her?”   
  
“What’s going on?” Ephiny asked in shock.   
  
“Ooh, yeah, it would probably be better if you didn’t have to go through this.” Aphrodite threw some pink sprinkles on her and Ephiny fainted.   
  
“Ares take her to Xena.” Zeus commanded. “Apollo, we need to have a little talk.”   
  
“Discord too!” Aphrodite said.   
  
“How did you know about Discord?” Apollo asked. Aphrodite wrinkled her nose and disappeared.   
  
  
  
Xena and Ephiny hugged Hercules and Iolaus goodbye.   
  
“We’ll miss you.” Xena said letting go of Iolaus.   
  
“Yeah, well, we’ll drop by around the time your gonna have the baby.” Hercules told her.   
  
“We’ll see then.” Ephiny said as they walked away. Once they got further down the road Xena spoke up.   
  
“You know, I’ll never leave you or the amazons.”   
  
“Yeah I know, but after the baby is born, you SHOULD go live with him. You love him. Besides, this way when I want a break I can vacation on Mt. Olympus.”   
  
“Oh yeah girl!”   
  
“Oh yeah!” They laughed.   
  
  
  
Xena was getting ready for bed when Ares appeared.   
  
“How do you feel?” He asked her.   
  
“Better now that I’m home.”   
  
“Good!” He kissed her. Then they laid down on the bed and Xena fell asleep in her lover’s arms.   
  


The End


End file.
